A theatrical Chocolate Dome Smash Cake, a blissfully indulgent spectacle to end any Christmas feast made even easier with our Cooking Chef XL. Begin by making the chocolate dome. Melt 250g chocolate with the chocolate melting preset. Line a small bowl with plastic wrap and brush 2-3 tbsp of melted chocolate around the inside. Refrigerate for 20 mins then repeat twice more.
Make the chocolate sponge layers, bake, and allow to cool, then make the buttercream. The full recipe is available on the Kenwood World App. To assemble and decorate, trim cakes until level, fill with buttercream, then cover with a thin crumb coat of buttercream on all sides. Refrigerate for 20 mins. Coat the cake with the remaining buttercream, then arrange your selection of sweets and edible decorations on top. Carefully remove the chocolate dome from the bowl, peel away the plastic wrap and dust with edible gold spray. Watch how it's done in the video.

Using tools from the Kenwood Decorating Set, trim cakes until level, fill with buttercream, then cover with a thin crumb coat of buttercream on all sides. Refrigerate for 20 mins then coat the cake with the remaining buttercream. Use a cocktail stick to create the tree bark effect on the sides of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to decorate.
Make the meringue trees and toadstool decorations, bake, and allow to cool completely. Have a look at the video to see how the details are added.

For the evening before the big day we have the perfect collection that will make your Christmas meal one to remember. Let Kenwood take the stress out of making the magic happen - eat, drink, and be merry in style with these delicious festive dinner ideas. Try this Smoked Salmon Tartare to start.

For the smoked salmon tartare, use the food processor attachment and the fine grating disc to grate 1 red bell pepper, 50g celery stalk and 100g carrot on speed 1. Transfer to the mixer bowl, fit the stir tool and mix 500g finely chopped smoked salmon, 1 cubed avocado, 50g chopped cherry tomatoes and 20g chopped capers, along with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, and 1 tsp thyme leaves for 1 minute on speed 1. Serve in bowls or glasses garnished with fresh cucumber and sprigs of dill.

Whether you’re hosting festive celebrations with family or seeing in the new year with friends, party in fuss-free fashion with this hand-picked selection of tasty recipes. From nibbles and starters to dining table show-stoppers, Kenwood is here to help make your celebrations effortless so you can enjoy the festivities as much as your guests. Start your Christmas dinner with homemade blinis and end with a bang with these delicious dark chocolate and passion fruit truffles. 

Blinis are light pancakes, usually served bite size as canapes, topped with cream cheese, smoked salmon and dill.
To make the blini batter, set machine to speed 2 and whisk 200g milk, 1 tsp dried yeast, and a pinch of sugar in the mixer bowl for 10 minutes on heat setting 2, then add 200g flour, 3 eggs, and a pinch of salt to the bowl. Whisk for a further 3 minutes on max speed, then use the dough proving preset for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the blini batter 1 tbsp at a time and fry in batches until golden brown, flipping halfway.
Garnish with any toppings of your choice, and serve as a canape or starter.
To save you time on your Christmas preparations these can be made up to a day ahead and stored in a sealed, air-tight container until needed.

To make the truffles, use the chocolate melting preset on the Cooking Chef XL and the creaming beater to melt 250g dark chocolate, 90g whipping cream, 150g passion fruit puree, 1 tbsp honey and 60g butter. Chill for 2 hours until set. Roll the mixture into 20g balls and coat in cocoa powder or desiccated coconut. Refrigerate for another 30 mins, or until ready to serve. Place in paper cases and serve, or wrap up as gifts. Plus it’s gluten free so you can cater to all your guests.